DW McKinney

I wrote the draft of this blog on January 6^th. (The date was happenstance. It had nothing to do with reflecting on the anniversary of the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.) I don’t know why I never came back to the draft. I have thought about it several times since writing it even though I couldn’t remember what I wrote.

I thought about what it means for authors to create audiences. What I feel when I see writers and poets I admire putting out weekly content on their blogs. What it would mean for me to do the same so my few subscribers have updates about me. (I appreciate each of you, by the way. I am truly thankful you take the time to read whatever I write.) I’ve thought about what it means to walk away from the blog completely. To let the previous posts just age and to give myself a break from the obligation.

Today I came back to the original draft for no other reason except that I needed a distraction from the world. This is what I wrote:

I am on a journey.

Or perhaps I am on several journeys that happen to take place on the same road, the same path.

I am searching for joy, daily.

I am searching for rest, daily.

I am seeking to strengthen my voice, writing and otherwise, hopefully daily but mostly intermittently.

I am not making resolutions this year and, honestly, I have struggled with them over the years. Tried to keep them because my parents made them a tradition, even though I wanted to rebel against the tradition. Then tried to keep them because everyone else was and isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?

All that is to say, I’m not making resolutions but coming to rest, joy, and embodying my voice. I will be making these memos shorter than usual and perhaps less frequently. Unless of course, while walking along this path of rest, joy, and voice, I discover that these memos somehow help them.

These past years have been hard. Wherever you are reading this, I truly wish you astounding peace I wish you love.

I think it’s safe to say that past me was looking out for current me and understood what I truly needed in mind and spirit. I will come to this blog when I can. I hope you, too, are releasing obligations and making room for your own well-being. I hope you are finding joy.

Onward,

DWM


I know I usually highlight my TBR lists, but I just want to highlight the books that evoked a huge emotional reaction from me in January and February:

A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT (novel) by Becky Chambers

BINTI (novella) by Nnedi Okorafor

THE BODY IS NOT AN APOLOGY (nonfiction) by Sonya Renee Taylor